Being able to walk outside and experience nature in your own back yard or school yard is one of the major perks of living at the 34 N latitude (aka southern CA). I love taking my students to the beach to do ocean testing or observations or just a walk around the block where we can see the migrations of the wildlife (aka birds) in the Venice canals and the Ballona lagoon.
Over spring break, I did the same whether it was bike riding along the beach, hikes in the Santa Moinca mountains to experience the wildflowers or even walking my dogs around the block and I saw some of the first Monarchs who are migrating north. I love the citizen science projects like Journey North which allows the everyday person to report their observations and photos of wildlife which creates a database of seasonal changes and activities of wildlife like butterflies, birds, insects, and even marine mammals. I love sharing my own discoveries and getting answers to questions of which I am curious and encourage my own kids and students to continue to be curious and improve their scientific literacy.
Ms. Geshke's Science Hub 